First Lady Lordina Mahama Advocates for Breast Cancer Screening as a Fundamental Right for All Ghanaian Women

First Lady Lordina Dramani Mahama has declared that access to breast cancer screening and treatment is a fundamental right for every Ghanaian woman, irrespective of her socio-economic background. Speaking at the Annual General Meeting of the Breast Society of Ghana in Accra, the First Lady called for a paradigm shift that ensures comprehensive care—spanning prevention, early detection, and psychosocial support—is accessible to all. Her remarks come at a time when the government is working to integrate specialized screenings into the broader framework of free primary healthcare, emphasizing that no woman should be left behind due to financial constraints.

While acknowledging that national policies now include breast cancer screening under free primary healthcare services, the First Lady stressed that policy on paper must translate into visible impact at local health centers. She noted that for the initiative to be truly effective, the infrastructure and personnel at the primary care level must be adequately equipped to handle these screenings. The objective is to move beyond high-level directives and ensure that a woman in any part of Ghana can walk into a local clinic and receive the life-saving screening she deserves without administrative or geographic barriers.

Clinical experts at the meeting echoed the First Lady’s concerns, highlighting the dire consequences of late diagnosis. Prof. Josephine Nsaful of the Breast Society of Ghana pointed out that a significant portion of breast cancer cases in the country are identified only at advanced stages. This delay not only leads to poor health outcomes and higher mortality rates but also places a staggering financial burden on families and the state. Prof. Nsaful advocated for streamlined referral pathways and enhanced financial support to ensure that once a case is detected, the patient can afford to follow through with the necessary treatment.

In a move toward a more holistic national strategy, the response to breast cancer is also being integrated across different government sectors. The Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection is reportedly incorporating social protection measures into the national cancer response to address the socio-economic barriers that often prevent women from seeking or completing treatment. By combining medical intervention with social safety nets, the government and health stakeholders hope to improve patient compliance and ultimately reduce the devastating toll that breast cancer takes on Ghanaian households.